Bellingham preserving 4.1-acre woodland site near south end of Lake Whatcom
Bellingham is buying a forested piece of land at the south end of Lake Whatcom, adding to the nearly 3,000 acres it has protected around its drinking water source.
City Council members voted unanimously Monday to buy 4.1 acres at 860 Iowa Heights Road for $184,000 from the Burton Jay Marital Trust, with a closing date “on or around” Feb. 23, Council President Dan Hammill said during the meeting.
“Through this purchase, we are protecting 4.1 acres of undeveloped forestland and preventing one development unit, which is especially important due to the site’s close proximity to a stream that enters Lake Whatcom and its proximity to the lake itself,” Public Works Department spokeswoman Stefanie Cilinceon told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
“Preserving forests such as this one is essential for protecting Lake Whatcom, our drinking water source, since forested land soaks up and naturally filters pollutants out of rainwater before it enters the lake,” Cilinceon said.
Lake Whatcom is the drinking water source for 100,000 Whatcom County residents, including Bellingham and the community of Sudden Valley.
Efforts to protect the watershed, where some 6,500 homes are located, the city began buying land in 2001.
Water customers pay a surcharge that funds the watershed protection program.
Increased development in the watershed has led to high levels of phosphorus, which can cause algal blooms which decrease the oxygen levels in the lake and make water treatment more difficult and expensive, according to the Whatcom Land Trust.
